Prospect House - Section 10 Consultation Information

New SEND Free School

Prospect House Primary Specialist Support School

Section 10 Consultation Friday 8th November 2019 - Friday 20th December 2019

Welcome Prospect House Primary Specialist Support School will provide the very best education for primary aged children with a range of special educational needs.

Prospect House Primary Specialist Support School is a Local Authority commissioned special primary Free School. This is a specialist support school for children with severe or profound learning difficulties and associated additional needs e.g. ASC, aged 3-11.

Prospect House will include places for pupils with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The local authorities (Manchester and Salford) concerned have established need and viability and have commissioned the places and identified a suitable site on Bank House Road, Higher Blackley.

Prospect House will have communication and skills for life and learning focus. Like the other special schools across the City there will be a strong focus on literacy, numeracy and developing personal independence skills. However, what makes the offer at Prospect House distinctive is the time that will be spent on applied communication and life skills through simulated and real-life play experiences.

We will use the flexibilities of the academy programme to structure the curriculum so that the proportion of time spent on different areas of learning is not only significant but increases as the young people move through each key stage or according to the needs of individuals, for example, PMLD children will need additional time on developing and maintaining physical area of learning and their timetable will need to reflect this. Other opportunities will be taken to extend the school day and term times. for example, with enrichment clubs / holiday clubs.

The curriculum for our Free School is designed to be broad, balanced and relevant and meet the needs of our children, and the context of the community and city in which we are based. The curriculum will maximise opportunities for learning across the school day and is not wholly delivered during formal lesson times. The use of breaktime and luchtimes is also used as learning opportunities. We believe in personalising learning and empowering our children so that they may engage in activities and concepts outside the constraints of the conventional curriculum. This means that we provide the opportunity to shape and enhance each child’s learning experience, whilst ensuring it is underpinned by a strong element of developing the child’s personal and social skills, including independence and personal safety, including e-safety.

We believe that every child has the right to a rich, diverse and exciting curriculum, and we realise that it is possible to achieve this by being creative in our approach to pupil learning and in our use of our many resources. Some activities included in our programme are Music Technology, Craft, Dance, Song and Sign. We have created a means of access to the curriculum called ‘Enrichment’ which ensures that every pupil has the opportunity for creative and imaginative learning opportunities, making the most of our wonderful outdoor and indoor environment ensuring that all pupils develop as global citizens. Enrichment opportunities will take place during lunchtimes, breakfast club time, after school provision and during our weekly enrichment afternoon.

Our Aims • To promote the spiritual, moral, cultural development of children, providing an “I can do” culture that gives opportunities and experiences whilst encouraging life long learning.

• To promote confidence, responsibility, success and a positive attitude whilst developing life skills and opportunities for living a full life in the wider community.

• To provide a suitable, happy and secure work and play environment in which children develop their abilities and make progress according to their individual needs.

• To acknowledge the uniqueness and intrinsic value of all children and staff in school.

• To forge positive working relationships with parents and carers and encourage a partnership between home and school, involving parents and carers in all aspects and stages of school life.

• To encourage children to pursue personal interests, to make their own choices and decisions so they can contribute positively to society, and have their skills and talents utilised in the community.

• To develop skills and knowledge that would support children in lifelong learning.

• To promote equal opportunities, embracing everybody regardless of disability, gender, race, age or sexuality.

• To promote fundamental British Values as part of SMSC, PSHE and Citizenship.

Our vision is underpinned by seven key principles: 1. Excellent Teaching – nothing is more important than excellent teaching underpinned by high quality professional development. Through our engaging applied learning curriculum focus, highly effective teaching will provide an outstanding and stimulating educational experience for every student.

2. High Expectations – we set exceptionally high expectations for all our students; on-going individual advice will support each student to not only make appropriate choices at each stage of their education but also to challenge and encourage them to reach their full potential in all they do.

3. Creating a Safe Learning Environment – we will ensure that for every one of our students we afford them the greatest preparation we can for their future ambitions and aspirations in adult life, including developing safe independence skills.

4. Providing Flexible Pathways through the curriculum – the diversification of our curriculum will ensure that the needs of all students can be met and each student will be equipped and prepared for success in the future, and have appropriate skills to be an effective citizen in modern Britain.

5. Commitment to CPD – we are committed to developing all staff through reflective practice and through a focus on developing learning communities; this has been recognised by Investors in People Gold (IIP).

6. Commitment to parents – we are committed to tackling inequalities including for our parents/ carers. Often caring for a child and young person with significant learning needs reduces opportunities for parents to develop work skills. We will ensure that through the free school, parents will be offered the opportunity to work and develop employability skills. This links to the LA requirments on “ travel support to access education policy” The proposal will enable more families to take their children to school under the Manchester’s Travel Support to access Education policy which is better for children with SEND and will reduce transport time for children living in this area or surrounding areas who will continue to require transport. This will mean a shorter journey for children and enable both commissioning Local Authorities to better manage their cost pressures on home to school transport.

7. Inclusive Community – we are committed to ensuring that young people with learning needs are fully included with their peers. This means developing pathways to independence, focussing on developing the skills to travel as independently as possible, to enable access to, and the use of local facilities, developing healthy life styles and the skills to contribute to their local community.

The curriculum approach and the skills for life and learning to be taught in the Primary Special Free School will support this area.

Admissions to Prospect House For a child to be admitted, the school must be named, by the local authority, in the child’s Statement/ Education Health Care Plan.

Prospect House will work in partnership with the local authority and parents/carers to assess the suitability of students for a place.

A full copy of the admissions arrangements for the school is available at: https://prospere.org.uk/about-us/prospect-house or you can phone 0161 436 3009 to request a copy.

School Building including: • •

• • • •

Classrooms with associated group rooms Therapy Rooms including Sensory Room, Soft play Room, Physiotherapy and Medical Room Hydrotherapy Pool Kitchen / dining space Main Hall Reception and Office space

Mixed Use Games Area A space for children to enjoy sports and recreation

Soft informal, social play area A safe space for pupils to enjoy the sensory experience of the outdoors and play

Pupil Drop-Off

For pupils arriving by minibus

Staff car park

With drop-off area for cars, disabled parking bays and cycle parking

Habitat Area

A space for wild flowers and planting to enhance the surroundings and provide sensory experiences

Questions & Answers What is a free school?

Free schools are independent, state-funded schools. They have the same legal status as academies.

Will free schools be able to make a profit?

No. Free schools are run on a not-for-profit basis by a charitable trust. The school will be run by the Principal and their leadership team and they will be answerable to the Prospere Learning Trust.

Where will the school be situated?

The school will be located on the old Camberwell Park Primary School site, on Bank House Road, Higher Blackley. This site was identified by the Local Authority and reviewed by the Education Funding Agency and has been confirmed as an ideal location for this school.

Which year groups will the school open with?

In September 2020, Prospect House will open with approximately 25 places, initially based in temporary accomodation. By 2024 pupil numbers will rise to 100.

Are free schools selective?

No. Free schools have to follow the new admissions code like all state-funded schools. Local Authorities will commission Prospect House to provide places for children where it believes a child’s statement of need/ EHCP can best be met by the school.

Will Prospect House High School be inspected by Ofsted?

Yes. All free schools are subject to inspection in the same way as any other schools.

How will the school be accountable?

The school will be run by a board of members and directors who will be accountable to the trust which oversees the school.

In addition the school will also be accountable to the Department for Education through the terms of its Funding Agreement.

How can I apply for a place?

Full details of the admissions procedure are available on the school’s website: www.prospere.org.uk/about-us/prospect-house

SURVEY Please print and return this survey via post to the address overleaf by 12 noon on Friday 20th December 2019 or complete it online at: www. propsere.org.uk/prospect-house.

4. Do you have any additional comments or feedback regarding Prospect House?

1. Do you support the proposal to open a a new primary special school in the Higher Blackley area of Manchester?

Yes

No

If you have any comments please add them below.

Register your interest** If you would like to register your interest in a place for your child at Prospect House and wish to be kept up-to-date with the school’s progress, please fill out the form below or email: 2. Do you support Prospect House’s vision which is underpinned by seven principles?

Yes

Name:

No

If you have any comments please add them below.

Email:

* The model Funding Agreement can be found online at http://gov.uk/government/ publications/ academy-and-free-school-funding- agreements-multi-academy-trust 3. Do you agree that the Prospere Learning Trust should sign a *Funding Agreement, which will enable us to open and run the new Free School - Prospect House Primary Specialist Support School?

Yes

No

If you have any comments please add them below.

**Please note that registering your interest has no bearing on the admissions process.

SURVEY CONTINUED About you: Which of the following best describes you?

Parent / carer Member of staff or governor at a local school Community member Local resident Local business owner / employee Other (please specify)

Please take the time to read this booklet and complete the survey.

You can return it by post to Prospect House, C/o Piper Hill High School, Firbank Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester, M23 2YS or complete it online at: www.prospere.org.uk/about-us/ prospect-house.

You can also email: a.bryan@prospere.org.uk on phone 0161 436 3009 and we will note your comments.

The consultation period ends at 12 noon on Friday 20th December 2019.

Data Protection Act 2018 The Data Controller is Prospere Learning Trust which will collect information provided. Any personal information provided may be shared with representatives of the Prospere Learning Trust in order to develop plans for the proposed Prospect House Primary Specialist Support School.

If you would like any of the information in a different language or format, please contact us on 0161 436 3009 and we will assist you.